GEORGE TOWN: The Penang state government is looking for a new company to manage the 18-hole Bukit Jambul Country Club (BJCC) and turn it into a more profitable concern.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the club, now managed by Island Golf Properties Bhd (IGP) – a wholly-owned subsidiary of Penang Development Corporation (PDC) – has been making profits of about RM1mil for the past three years.

“However, we want the club to make more money. That is why we want a company that can unlock the value of the golf club,” he said.

Thus, he said, the state was calling for an open tender for companies, including from outside Malaysia, to make a bid to manage the club, which was set up on Oct 10, 1984.

“The most important criteria that we are interested in is how much your company can invest and what you can give us.

“We want to outsource one of the country’s top golf sites to a company that can turn BJCC into a top international club and is capable of hosting international golfing events,” Lim said at a press conference at the club yesterday.

He said a golf consultant’s report had shown that the BJCC had potential to become a premier golf club in the region because of its location, excellent infrastructure and a course that was designed by renowned golf course architect Robert Trent Jones Jr.

He said the deadline for the tender was Aug 1. Lim said the BJCC could be an important income generator for the state and an attraction for tourists, businesses and Malaysia My Second Home participants.

“Calling for an open tender to outsource the club will save the government money while ensuring that we get the best service at the best price,” he said.